The 94th annual Academy Awards haven’t even gotten started yet, and there’s already drama.
First, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences demoted eight below-the-line and short film categories to a preshow, angering many in Hollywood who say the professionals in those races are essential to filmmaking. Next, the best director favorite, Jane Campion of “The Power of the Dog,” faced a backlash when she suggested at the Critics Choice Awards that the tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams had never had to compete against men as she had. Campion later apologized. And then, Rachel Zegler, a star of “West Side Story,” which earned seven nominations, revealed in an Instagram comment that she hadn’t been invited to the ceremony. She was later asked to be a presenter, and the academy confirmed on Wednesday that she would attend.
So pop some popcorn, make an Oscars bingo card — trust us, you’ll want “golden hour” and “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” on there — and settle in for what may be the most normal Oscar ceremony of the past two years.
What time do the festivities start?
The ceremony, which returns to the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles this year, will begin at 8 p.m. Eastern, 5 p.m. Pacific — if you’re watching at home, that is. For the first time, eight of the 23 categories — film editing, sound, original score, production design, makeup and hairstyling, live-action short, animated short and documentary short — will be handed out in an in-person-only preshow that the producers are calling the “golden hour.” That starts at 7 p.m. Eastern, 4 p.m. Pacific, with highlights from the presentations later edited into the live broadcast. (The move is part of an effort to raise the broadcast’s ratings after they hit a record low in 2021.)
On television, ABC is the official broadcaster. Online, if you have a cable login, you can watch via abc.com/watch-live/abc, or if you’re an ABC subscriber, via the ABC app. You can also watch via a live TV streaming service like Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, AT&T TV Now, YouTube TV or FuboTV, which all require subscriptions, though many are offering free trials.
Is there a red carpet?
Yes, Oscars fashion is back! The academy is opening the red carpet an hour earlier than usual, at 4 p.m. Eastern, 1 p.m. Pacific, to accommodate the earlier arrivals for the eight “golden hour” awards. (Those attending the Oscars are asked to be inside the Dolby by 7 p.m. Eastern, 4 p.m. Pacific.)
Explore the 2022 Academy Awards
The 94th Academy Awards will be held on March 27 in Los Angeles.
- The Hosts: Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes plan to keep the show moving and make it funny, though they will acknowledge the war in Ukraine.
- ‘Seen That Before?’: Four of the best picture nominees this year are remakes or reboots of earlier films.
- Best Actress Race: Who will win? There are cases to be made for and against each contender, and no one has an obvious advantage.
- Hollywood Legend: Danny Glover will receive an honorary Oscar for his activism. He spoke to The Times about his life in movies and social justice.
- Return to the Playground: For his Oscar-nominated short film “When We Were Bullies,” Jay Rosenblatt tracked down his fifth-grade classmates.
ABC will have red carpet coverage beginning at 1 p.m. and running most of the afternoon, with a break for national and local news. The official Academy Awards preshow, “The Oscars Red Carpet Show,” begins airing on ABC at 6:30 p.m. Eastern, 3:30 p.m. Pacific. With Vanessa Hudgens, Terrence J and the fashion designer Brandon Maxwell as hosts, it will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the big night with red carpet coverage and interviews.
Who will be hosting?
Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes will be teaming up, the first time the ceremony will have a host since 2018.
How is the competition shaping up?
Thirty-eight features and 15 shorts are nominated in 23 categories this year, and Campion’s queer western “The Power of the Dog” leads the pack with 12 nominations. A category to watch will be best supporting actor: If Troy Kotsur, who plays the deaf father of a hearing daughter in “CODA,” can pull off the win over Kodi Smit-McPhee, who was an early favorite for his work in “The Power of the Dog,” that could bolster the best picture chances for “CODA.” Also relevant is the best adapted screenplay race, where “CODA” won out over “The Power of the Dog” at the BAFTAs. “CODA” losing one or both could be an indication that best picture is going to “The Power of the Dog.”
What entertainment is planned?
The eclectic lineup includes Shaun White, Tony Hawk, and Serena and Venus Williams as presenters, as well as the first live performance of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” the earworm from Disney’s animated musical “Encanto.” There also be tributes to “The Godfather,” which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and the James Bond franchise.
Will the Russian invasion in Ukraine be mentioned?
Yes. The hosts told The Times there will be a segment devoted to it.
Our Reviews of the 10 Best-Picture Oscar Nominees
“Belfast.” In this charming memoir, the director Kenneth Branagh recalls, through a rose-tinted lens and black-and-white photography, his working-class childhood in a turbulent Northern Ireland.
“CODA.” A shy 17-year-old is the lone hearing member of her rambunctious family. As she confronts a newly awakened desire to sing, her efforts to share her musical talent with her deaf relatives are remarkably affecting.
“Don’t Look Up.” Two astronomers discover a comet headed straight for Earth. When they pass along the bad news, the president of the United States has other things on her mind to pay attention to than the impending catastrophe.
“Drive My Car.” A theater director grapples with the death of his wife, as he mounts a production of “Uncle Vanya.” A chauffeur assigned by the theater company ferries him to and from work while holding back vast emotional reserves of her own.
“Dune.” In this adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science-fiction opus, the young scion of a noble family departs for a desert planet home to monstrous sandworms, enigmatic Bedouin-like inhabitants and an addictive, highly valuable resource called spice.
“King Richard.” This two-for-one superhero origin story follows young Venus and Serena Williams in their ascent in women’s tennis, as they fulfill an ambition that their father had conceived before the two were born.
“Licorice Pizza.” In Paul Thomas Anderson’s coming-of-age romance, a child performer who has hit maximum adolescent awkwardness is aging out of his professional niche. His encounter with 20-something Alana, whom he instantly falls for, gets the story’s juices going.
“Nightmare Alley.” A grifter with empty pockets and a mysterious past joins the sleazoid world of 1930s back-road carnivals. He soon begins cycling through women, including a clairvoyant whose husband once had a successful mentalist act.
“The Power of the Dog.” Phil Burbank has been playing cowboy his entire adult life, raising cattle on his family’s Montana ranch for decades. When his brother George marries a widow with a teenage son, a lifelong family dynamic is disrupted.
“West Side Story.” Steven Spielberg’s remake of one of Broadway’s most celebrated musicals — a modern take on “Romeo and Juliet” — centers on the forbidden love between Tony and Maria, who are involved with two rival street gangs in Manhattan’s West Side in the 1950s.
Who else will be presenting?
About 50 people are lined up to hand out awards, including Lady Gaga, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tiffany Haddish, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Hopkins, Samuel L. Jackson, Lily James, Daniel Kaluuya, Zoë Kravitz, Mila Kunis, Rami Malek, Shawn Mendes, Jason Momoa, Bill Murray, Lupita Nyong’o, Tyler Perry, Chris Rock, J.K. Simmons, Uma Thurman, John Travolta and Yuh-Jung Youn.
Who else will be performing?
Four of the five best original song nominees will be sung live, with performances by Beyoncé (“Be Alive” from “King Richard,” written with Dixson), Billie Eilish and Finneas (“No Time to Die,” from the James Bond film of the same name), Sebastián Yatra (“Dos Oruguitas,” the “Encanto” song written by Lin-Manuel Miranda) and Reba McEntire (“Somehow You Do” from “Four Good Days,” written by Diane Warren). Van Morrison, who wrote and sang “Down to Joy” in “Belfast,” was unable to attend because of his touring schedule.
What else is new this year?
The academy has introduced two categories with fans voting to determine the winner, which could be the path for a film with broad appeal like “Spider-Man: No Way Home” to take home an award. The #OscarsFanFavorite category asked Twitter users to vote on their favorite movie of 2021 (“Spider-Man” and “Cinderella” were among the 10 finalists in the last week before voting closed on March 3), and the#OscarsCheerMoment category asked film lovers to nominate their favorite scenes that made audiences burst into cheers in theaters. The winning ones will be shown during the ceremony.
Who could make history?
There are multiple potential milestones: If “CODA,” an Apple TV+ offering, or “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix) wins best picture, it would be the first time a streaming service won the top award. Lin-Manuel Miranda could become just the 17th EGOT — winner of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award — at age 42 if he wins best original song for “Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto” (Disney didn’t submit “Bruno” for consideration), or Beyoncé could get her first Oscar if “Be Alive” from “King Richard” wins instead. Ariana DeBose, the supporting actress favorite for her performance as Anita in “West Side Story,” or Kristen Stewart, who is nominated for best actress for her performance as Princess Diana in “Spencer,” could become the first openly L.G.B.T.Q. performer to win an acting Oscar. Kotsur, from “CODA,” could also become the first deaf man to win an acting Oscar.
Who do we think will win?
“The Power of the Dog” is still the front-runner for best picture, but just barely — it’ll have to fend off a surging “CODA” that’s taken the top honor at the actors, writers and producers guild awards. (Though it lacks directing and editing nominations, our awards expert, Kyle Buchanan, is predicting that voters are desperate to crown a crowd-pleaser.) Campion is a safe bet for best director — Sian Heder, the director of “CODA,” wasn’t nominated — and Will Smith is the favorite to win his first Oscar for best actor, for “King Richard.” Kotsur and Ariana DeBose of “West Side Story” are the clear favorites in the supporting actor and actress categories, but best actress could be a wild card — Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”) has momentum after wins at the Critics Choice Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards (she’s our expert’s pick), but Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”) or Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”) could play spoiler.
